Hi Everyone,

I’m writing from New Hampshire tonight. I can hear the chorus of “New Hampshire?!!” coming from many of you.

I have spoken with the Founder of the Brain Injury Association. She and her husband founded the BIA because 30 years ago their daughter suffered from TBI (traumatic brain injury). They were very frustrated with the lack of support, information and services needed for this important cause. She believes we need to fight for at least 3-4 more months in Bryn Mawr for the intensive therapy that makes the greatest difference within the first year. Marilyn understands the struggle with the insurance companies. She currently is the Out Patient Coordinator at a renowned rehab in Boston. She is an amazing advocate! We spoke about Corey’s denials from the local sub acute facilities. Marilyn is encouraging us to continue the fight but asked if we’d consider a facility out of state to continue Corey’s rehabilitation when she’s denied by insurance to stay at Bryn Mawr. We are open to whatever is best for Corey. What will get her the best care for as long as we can provide it?

The facility I went to today was very much like Bryn Mawr. However, it’s still not the Golden Ticket we’re looking for. Because Corey will potentially be denied by the acute care hospitals, she must go to a sub acute facility. This means, less rehabilitation hours, greater staff to patient ratio’s and potentially the chance of regression for the achievements she’s made up to this point because of the aforementioned circumstances. If we go home, we risk the same outcomes. Either choice will still be approved/denied by the insurance company weekly…they maintain the power to decide the next levels of care. Her financial approval at the sub acute level will also be based on the FIM scale that Bryn Mawr is required to use but are fighting against. The FIM scale is an unattainable standard for certain levels of TBI patients.

I’m sharing this with you because this is the decision that families are forced to look at based on the criteria limitations set by the insurance companies. Has the insurance companies forgotten that we pay them? Traumatic Brain Injury isn’t like a hip replacement or a broken bone. It’s time to make this travesty public. It’s time to write the Senators and State Representatives to make them aware that the victims of this injury are being denied as if they had an injury that would heal in 6 weeks. It’s time to demand they look at each case as the individuals they are rather than compare them to otherwise healthy rehabilitation patients with common injuries.

Many of you have asked who you can write to. Marilyn suggests the Senators and State Representatives; especially now that the article in USA Today was published. She suggests we write and bombard them with copies of Corey’s story and the article.

Please consider writing to your state and federal legislators, not only for Corey but for all the families that have to fight for coverage in every state! We shouldn’t be forced to look for care 8 hours from friends and family when the perfect solution is in our backyard! Please help us make this public. Please send me information on anyone from television, radio or newspaper that I can speak to about Corey’s story. She is a perfect example of thousands of individuals and their families that deserve better!